Published 1 year ago
by
Kofi Outlaw
, Updated September 12th, 2013 at 11:09 am,

J.K. Rowling has announced via her Facebook Page that she is writing a new Harry Potter spinoff film titled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for Warner Bros. The film will follow Newt Scamander, author of the textbook “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” – which was (as fans of the novels know) the name of the textbook Harry and Co. used while first-years at Hogwarts in the first installment, The Philosopher’s Stone. Rowling previously adapted the idea into a companion book for the Harry Potter novels.

The film will be the first in a new franchise from Rowling and Warner Bros. – read the official Facebook posting from Rowling below:

Warner Bros. announced on 12th September 2013 that J.K. Rowling would be making her screenwriting debut with ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’, the first in a new film series which is part of their expanded creative partnership with J.K. Rowling. The films will be inspired by Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbook of the same name, and will feature the book’s fictitious author, Newt Scamander.

“It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of ‘Fantastic Beasts’, realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.

As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t dislodge. That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros.

Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world. The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.

I particularly want to thank Kevin Tsujihara of Warner Bros. for his support in this project, which would not have happened without him. I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it.”

The subject matter is sound – the exploration of mystical beasts in the wizarding world – and with Warner Bros. still working out their superhero universe – with the Batman vs. Superman movie poised to make a big smash in 2015 – having something from the Harry Potter Universe – from Rowling herself – is just more ammunition in hand.

What do you think Harry Potter fans? Does this concept sound good to you?

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We’ll keep you updated on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as this story develops.

No. A prequel is a story that leads up to the main events, this is completely unrelated. Thus, it is not a prequel. It won’t involve any of the characters nor will it lead up to the events of Harry Potter. It’s, as she said, ‘an extension’.

Not really, it doesn’t follow the same story as Harry Potter. It’s an entirely different story, just in the same world. Either way, whether it’s after or before the events of Harry Potter, it has to take place some time right?

Dude I know your cousin. She might have told you she got a job. But she’s actually hooking at the corner of 3rd and Main. She propositioned me but unfortunately her new “job” doesn’t include a dental plan. Bad bad look for her.

I grew up with the Harry Potter books. I loved them. The movies were decent and the ones that were more truthful to the book were better. 3 and 7 part 2 were the best and next in line would be 1, 2, 6, and 7 part 1. 5 was a little cheesy and rushed but overall decent. 4 was the worst adaptation. Alfonso Cuaron and David Yates did great jobs with their respective adaptations. The whole cast was good. Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson had career-making performances. I personally hoped Harry and Hermione would end up with each other, and that would’ve gave things a twist. I related to Harry the way Radcliffe played him and I had a crush of sorts on Watson (since she’s cut her hair, which is a turn-off at least for me; her hair’s grown back so it’s fine). Anyways, if Rowling wants to make a spinoff, I’m all in as long as the movie’s given the same care as her series was.

Couldn’t agree more, with the exception of saying Harry and Hermione getting together. Having the main male character and female character getting together isn’t really anything new. And he got with his best friends sister, which almost NEVER works, and it was great!

Anyway, I love this franchise, and I’m very excited about this. The only thing that worries me is the idea of doing a prequel doesn’t always work. Prometheus was strong when it was it’s own story, but some of the last minute writing in the final third with them trying to tie it more into Alien really fell flat for me and got pretty sloppy.

Of course I’m nervous about this, prequels are tricky. As long as she sticks with what she says and keeps it as a stand alone story without trying to tie plot points to the Harry Potter series, then this could be great. I just don’t want to see magic explained as mediclorians, or a prophecy about a kid with a scar on his head that will set balance to the Wizarding world, if you get what I’m saying.

Or franchises like these just make the most money, reason why it’s called a business. I too would like more original content, but people aren’t watching the original movies. Instead, movies like Iron Man are making over a billion dollars as well as the Harry Potter franchise. If you were a business looking for the most cash, would you go with an established franchise that makes billions of dollars, or original content that makes a couple million?

Are you afraid of the franchise being milked? I personally don’t see this film doing that. If they wanted to milk it more they would have made a movie about the trio grown up and fighting dark wizards. This is world- building, and is honestly original.

I really dislike when long running movie series, tv shows, book series, and other media come to an end. It’s a subtle feeling of dread. I’m thinking it is tied to mortality / getting older, but I would think it is something that has been studied in this specific context. I’m sure that psychological attachment is a big obvious reason why some franchises never seem to go away.

X-Files, Friends, House, Stargate SG1, BSG, Sopranos, and tons of others all the way back to The Cosby Show and some other long running 80′s shows… And as far as movies, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Toy Story, The Mummy (yeah, there are some stinkers in this list, but still…), Indiana Jones, Terminator, Alien(s), Die Hard, etc.

Some of the shows still produce sequels from time to time, but the magic is gone (Die Hard, I’m looking at you), but still others I really like to see return for more, for better or worse (Jurassic World, Star Wars, The Hobbit, Terminator(?), and hopefully more).

All that said, I hope that movies are produced in the Harry Potter world for decades to come. Also, hopefully spin offs in a popular universe are hopefully something that never gets old… Fresh takes on TV shows & movies that can give a fresh start to a familiar universe, one that doesn’t rely on aging stars who remind us of how old we are getting, as sad as that is.

If ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is going to become a movie, then I presume that at some point, ‘Quidditch Through the Ages’ will follow?

For those of you who do not know, these two books were released together in a purple slipcase (2001), maintaining the same look and feel of the Harry Potter ‘Years 1-7′ collection.

To be perfectly honest, this is very strange, yet delightful news. I am especially surprised to read that J.K. Rowling herself is doing the adaptation. I have all the Harry Potter Ultimate Editions in Years 1-7, and I will gladly welcome film adaptations of ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ and ‘Quidditch Through the Ages’. Go Rowling!